Babylon

In the wake of Texas passing a law requiring Bible reading in public schools, the internet exploded as you might expect it would have - in an eruption of both cheers and objections. 

But one thing caught my eye. 

It was a preacher, the head of a large church in Texas, who said something to the effect that "these Christian nationalists won't be happy until they've completely destroyed the Constitution." 

Where do we even start? 

First, let's just say, yes. It's a problem. It's a problem that a preacher who calls himself a Christian and calls his body a church is more concerned about the Constitution than he is about the idea that a whole new generation of kids will be exposed to the Bible. It's an...odd...position to take from the pulpit (although this particular preacher very rarely comes down on the side of historical Christianity anyway). 

This is basically living in Babylon and forsaking Jerusalem. It's being so invested in the country you're in, in your physical place, that you forget your heavenly place and the place that you come from. 

To be sure, God has told us we are all exiles here. Not only that, but we are supposed to pray for the "peace and prosperity" of Babylon. We are supposed to want the nations in which we live to thrive. But that doesn't mean that we forsake our Home for a place like thing. It doesn't mean we forget that this is temporary and something eternal still holds our hearts. 

It doesn't mean that we live like Babylon is the thing that's supposed to be more infallible in our lives.

We cannot love Babylon more than we love Jerusalem. 

I mean...who is the real nationalist here? 

But here's the thing - I don't think these things are at odds as much as some folks present them to be. The Constitution and the Bible, I mean. Yes, there's a whole demographic that raises a stink about the "separation of church and state" (which doesn't mean what most of them want to tell you it means, but they cry about it anyway), but here's what I think: 

I think that the Constitution is fulfilled by our Christianity the same way that the Old Testament law is fulfilled by the grace of Christ in the new. 

The founding fathers of our country were Bible-believing folks. They formed our Constitution on ideas that they took from the Bible and their understanding of God. That means that in order to live out what they imagined for this land, we have to live from our Christian convictions. Having Christian leadership at the forefront of our culture isn't a hindrance to the "separation of church and state;" rather, it is the fulfillment of the state by the church, which is what they had in mind in the first place. 

Only when we are living as Christians can we truly guarantee the dignity of every human being as made in the image of God. Only when are are living as Christians can we truly offer equality to all of our neighbors. Only when we are living as Christians can we extend true freedom to the other. Only when we love one another are we actually caring for one another, and what has God always called His people to do? Love one another. 

When we live in grace and truth and love, we don't threaten the Constitution of our country; we fulfill it. That doesn't make us Christian nationalists. 

It simply makes us exiles, working for the peace and prosperity of Babylon, where we so happen to live for right now. Doing exactly what God has called us to do here...and what our Constitution requires of us, too.